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# Roadside Press

Underground press established by Michele McDannold on 2/22/22.

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## Posts

- [News](https://roadsidefam.com/news/)
- [Zack Kopp reviews COLLECTED POEMS 2005-2025 by Michele McDannold](https://roadsidefam.com/2026/07/zack-kopp-reviews-collected-poems-2005-2025-by-michele-mcdannold/) - first published at The Literary Underground's IN CONVERSATION Collected Poems 2005-2025 by Michele McDannold Roadside Press $20 Dec 6, 2025 Michele McDannold is one of the hardest-working women in the small press scene. She has established and continues maintenance of multiple imprints and websites. She’s driven across the Southwest and pacific Northwest distributing copies of
- [Westley Heine reviews The Book of the Dirty Poet](https://roadsidefam.com/2026/06/westley-heine-reviews-the-book-of-the-dirty-poet/) - first published at The Rusty Truck The Book of the Dirty Poet: by the Dirty Poet 206 pages Roadside Press available for pre-order at magicaljeep.com They say cleanliness is next to Godliness. If only things were that simple. In my experience, you get closer to the truth when you get down in the dirt. If you really get
- [Alan Catlin reviews THE PEOPLE ARE LIKE WOLVES TO ME by William Taylor Jr.](https://roadsidefam.com/2026/06/alan-catlin-reviews-the-people-are-like-wolves-to-me-by-william-taylor-jr/) - first published in Misfit Magazine, Alan Catlin, ed. William Taylor Jr., The People Are Like Wolves to Me, Roadside Press, roadsidefam.com distributed by Magical Jeep, also available on Amazon, 2025, 85 pages, $17. If his poetry is to be taken literally, and there is no reason not to take him at his word, Taylor is a melancholy
- [Alan Catlin reviews Roadside Assistance: A Roadside Press Reader](https://roadsidefam.com/2026/06/alan-catlin-reviews-roadside-assistance-a-roadside-press-reader/) - first published in Misfit Magazine, Alan Catlin, editor Roadside Assistance: A Roadside Press Reader, roadsidefam.com, available on Amazon, 2026, 198 pages, $20, https://www.magicaljeep.com/product/roadside/SO7LETPOXJR5T4LEQK36FBRE This weighty collection is not a best of the press’s books so much as a selection of the work of 48 poets and writers of fiction all of whom had a book
- [Richard Modiano reviews ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE: A ROADSIDE PRESS READER](https://roadsidefam.com/2026/05/richard-modiano-reviews-roadside-assistance-a-roadside-press-reader/) - first published at The Literary Underground's In Conversation Roadside Assistance: A Roadside Press Reader edited by Dan Denton & Michele McDannold There’s something refreshingly unvarnished about Roadside Assistance: A Roadside Press Reader — a book that refuses polish in favor of presence. As the publisher’s note makes clear, this is not a curated “best of,” but a
- [Current Disasters by Jen McConnell reviewed in Barrelhouse](https://roadsidefam.com/2026/05/current-disasters-by-jen-mcconnell-reviewed-in-barrelhouse/) - first published in Barrelhouse mag https://www.barrelhousemag.com/blog/mcconnell-currentdisasters-waite Reviewed by David Waite Roadside Press / May 2025 / 100 pp In Jen McConnell’s Current Disasters, the absurd looms just as large as dread or joy or understanding. The twenty stories, some medium-sized and some only a paragraph, often have a shattering absurdity, but equally often, they offer
- [WITH HER HAIR ON FIRE by Christy Prahl reviewed in Calyx](https://roadsidefam.com/2026/05/with-her-hair-on-fire-by-christy-prahl-reviewed-in-calyx/) - "I am thankful for a poet who can thrust the worry, the guilt and too much caring out—and let in some sun, new air, some frank clarity through the sealed-up windows we use to protect ourselves. Be generous to yourself as a reader and add these poems into your day, your life, too."—Ellen Stone Read
- [Charles Rammelkamp reviews ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE: A ROADSIDE PRESS READER in the London Grip](https://roadsidefam.com/2026/03/charles-rammelkamp-reviews-roadside-assistance-a-roadside-press-reader-in-the-london-grip/) - It begins: "One of the bright spots of small press publishing during the decade of the 2020s has been Roadside Press and its consistently impressive offerings. While in the Introduction to Roadside Assistance the editors insist that the anthology is not meant as a “best of” or “greatest hits” collection, the prose and poetry pieces included in
- [Poetically Yours Extended Podcast - Richard Vargas on Northern Public Radio](https://roadsidefam.com/2026/03/poetically-yours-extended-podcast-richard-vargas-on-northern-public-radio/) - This podcast is an extension of WNIJ’s Poetically Yours weekly segment. Richard Vargas is featured in this segment. Vargas’s Rockford-inspired poetry collection, “The Screw City Poems,” was released on July 11. In this episode, he talks about his writing style, his early years in Compton, California, and what led him to Rockford. TO LISTEN, VISIT:
- [On Having No Head: Johnny Cordova's The Broken Buddha reviewed by Richard Collins](https://roadsidefam.com/2026/02/on-having-no-head-johnny-cordovas-the-broken-buddha-reviewed-by-richard-collins/) - first published in Rat's Ass Review https://ratsassreview.net/?page_id=4452 ON HAVING NO HEAD: JOHNNY CORDOVA’S THE BROKEN BUDDHA ( ROADSIDE PRESS, 2026 ). One of the best books on Buddhism I ever read is Douglas Harding’s On Having No Head: Zen and the Rediscovery of the Obvious. I was reminded of this when reading Johnny Cordova’s forthcoming first book of poetry,
- [Collected Poems 2005-2025 by Michele McDannold reviewed by Dan Denton](https://roadsidefam.com/2026/01/collected-poems-2005-2025-by-michele-mcdannold-reviewed-by-dan-denton/) - Collected Poems 2005 - 2025 by Michele McDannold: a sort of review by Dan Denton About halfway through Michele McDannold’s Collected Poems, I stopped and went back to the beginning. I’d noticed such a wide range of topics and issues confronted by her poetry that I wanted to start over and write them all down.
- [Roadside Press publisher Michele McDannold interviewed at Hobo Camp Review](https://roadsidefam.com/2026/01/roadside-press-publisher-michele-mcdannold-interviewed-at-hobo-camp-review/) - Check out the latest Hobo Camp Review, marking 16 years in publishing! https://hobocampreview.blogspot.com/2026/01/hobo-camp-review-interview-with-michele.html Roadside Press's very own editor/publisher Michele McDannold is interviewed. It begins... Hobo Camp Review Interview with Michele McDannold A note from HCR Editor James Duncan: Of the many indie press editors I've worked with over the years, Michele McDannold has always stood out for
- [Richard Modiano reviews COLLECTED POEMS 2005-2025 by Michele McDannold](https://roadsidefam.com/2025/12/richard-modiano-reviews-collected-poems-2005-2025-by-michele-mcdannold/) - first published at The Literary Underground's IN CONVERSATION McDannold, Michele (2025). Collected Poems 2005-2025 (Poetry Collection) Roadside Press 279p. $20.00 (Paperback) Michele McDannold’s Collected Poems 2005–2025 is a bruising, beautiful chronicle of two decades lived on the raw nerve of experience. The voice here is equal parts survivor, witness, and outlaw philosopher—one who has been scorched by the world’s
- [THIS IS WHERE YOU ARE by Nicholas Claro reviewed by Alan Catlin](https://roadsidefam.com/2025/12/this-is-where-you-are-by-nicholas-claro-reviewed-by-alan-catlin/) - first published in Misfit Magazine, Editor Alan Catlin Nicholas Claro, This Is Where You Are, Roadside Press, www.roadsidefam.com distributed by www.magicaljeep.com, 2025, 155 pages, $18 Claro’s first book comes burdened with a blurb , “reminiscent of Raymond Carver’s classic story collections” and “In the tradition of Carver and Dubus.” I say burdened as those two guys are the masters of
- [THE SCREW CITY POEMS by Richard Vargas reviewed by Alan Catlin](https://roadsidefam.com/2025/11/the-screw-city-poems-by-richard-vargas-reviewed-by-alan-catlin/) - Richard Vargas, The Screw City Poems, 2025, 136 pages, $18 If you were expecting heavily charged erotica here due to the title, Screw City you will likely be disappointed. Not that there isn’t sex, there is some, married, break up sex, hook up sex but "Screw City" refers to a small midwestern city (Rockford, IL) that was once known
- [Roadside Press Announces November 2025 Release of William Taylor Jr.'s Raw and Profound New Poetry Collection, "The People Are Like Wolves to Me"](https://roadsidefam.com/2025/05/roadside-press-announces-november-2025-release-of-william-taylor-jr-s-raw-and-profound-new-poetry-collection-the-people-are-like-wolves-to-me/) - Roadside Press is pleased to announce the forthcoming publication of William Taylor Jr.'s compelling new poetry collection, The People Are Like Wolves to Me, scheduled for release in November 2025. This collection offers readers a powerful and honest exploration of the human experience in contemporary life, grappling with themes of fear, profound loneliness, existential challenges,
- [LITTLE GRAVEYARDS by Aleathia Drehmer reviewed by Alan Catlin](https://roadsidefam.com/2025/11/little-graveyards-by-aleathia-drehmer-reviewed-by-alan-catlin/) - first published in misfit magazine, Editor Alan Catlin Aleathia Drehmer, Little Graveyards, 2025, 66 pages, $15 Little Graveyards is a small, easily transportable book that will easily fit into your purse or back pocket. I highly recommend taking the poems with you, reading a couple at a time, and saving the rest for later. Aleathia works in health care,
- [Michele McDannold’s Collected Poems: 2005–2025 — Twenty Years in ink](https://roadsidefam.com/2025/10/michele-mcdannolds-collected-poems-2005-2025-twenty-years-in-ink/) - Roadside Press is proud to announce Collected Poems: 2005–2025 by Michele McDannold, releasing December 6, 2025—on the poet’s 51st birthday. This 300-page collection gathers two decades of McDannold’s poetry, including complete sections from Stealing the Midnight from a Handful of Days and By Plane, Train or Coincidence, along with nearly seventy-five pages of previously uncollected
- [Nathan Graziano examines ‘A Better Loser’ in new story collection](https://roadsidefam.com/2025/09/nathan-graziano-examines-a-better-loser-in-new-story-collection/) - New Hampshire’s Nathan Graziano returns with another cast of unforgettable characters in a new linked story collection 23 years after his debut, ‘Frostbite’. After more than two decades, Manchester writer Nathan Graziano has finally followed up on his debut short story collection, Frostbite (Green Bean Press, 2002). On Oct. 21, Roadside Press, an independent press
- [Excerpt from PERSEVERANCE: THE MAKING OF A MUSICIAN by Steven Grey](https://roadsidefam.com/2025/07/excerpt-from-perseverance-the-making-of-a-musician-by-steven-grey/) - Please Die & Everything - Part 4: Fuckin’ Lenny On the off days from my main two jobs, I still did the sales job whenever I could. We all hung out outside of work to various degrees as well. Something must have happened to Lenny’s car at some point because I remember giving him rides
- [NIGHT BIRD FLYING by Danny Shot reviewed by Alan Catlin](https://roadsidefam.com/2025/06/night-bird-flying-by-danny-shot-reviewed-by-alan-catlin/) - first published in misfit magazine, Editor Alan Catlin Danny Shot, Night Bird Flying, Roadside Press, distributed by Magical Jeep also available on Amazon, 2025, 130 pages $17 I might as well get this out of the way up front, if I had to create a list of the top ten small press mags since I stared publishing
- [APOCALYPSING by Jason Anderson reviewed by Alan Catlin](https://roadsidefam.com/2025/06/apocalypsing-by-jason-anderson-reviewed-by-alan-catlin/) - Jason Anderson, Apocalypsing, 2024, 306 pages, $20 This is a wild ride. I kept thinking it is sort of like well if Lincoln in Bardo got mixed up with a PK Dick novel, take your pick which one, say, Ubik or Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep and had a Naked Lunch while tripping on acid, something like this might emerge. Maybe. The
- [CURRENT DISASTERS by Jen McConnell reviewed](https://roadsidefam.com/2025/05/current-disasters-by-jen-mcconnell-reviewed/) - The Roadside Press release of CURRENT DISASTERS by Jen McConnell has recently been reviewed in a couple of publications. First, from Independent Book Review: https://independentbookreview.com/2025/05/26/book-review-current-disasters-2/ "This is the kind of book that roots deep in the mind and inspires consideration long after turning the final page." but also, at San Francisco Book Review:
- [Coming June 20, 2025 — New Look, Same Legendary Spirit](https://roadsidefam.com/2025/05/coming-june-20-2025-new-look-same-legendary-spirit/) - Gregory Corso: Ten Times a Poet returns in a striking new second edition from Roadside Press. Edited by Leon Horton and Michele McDannold, this tribute to one of the founding fathers of the Beat Generation features an all-new cover showcasing the iconic photography of Christopher Felver. While the interior remains virtually unchanged—retaining its rich collection
- [Review of ALL SKATE in Belt Mag](https://roadsidefam.com/2025/03/review-of-all-skate-in-belt-mag/) - "Jakiela is a master of an essay form that is distinctly her own, a kind of integrated collage style that brings together her background as a journalist and the author of collections of poetry, weaving together quotes, facts, musings, digressions, and stories, pulling us in with opening lines like, “One mid-pandemic day, because I love
- [Excerpts from ALL SKATE: TRUE STORIES FROM MIDDLE LIFE by Lori Jakiela](https://roadsidefam.com/2025/03/excerpts-from-all-skate-true-stories-from-middle-life-by-lori-jakiela/) - "The Art of the Take-Off" and "The Art of the Carry On" from All Skate: True Stories from Middle Life by Lori Jakiela are published in Littsburgh here "Of the Wolf" from All Skate in Belt Mag here snag your copy at magicaljeep.com
- [Kerry Trautman reviews Danny Shot's Night Bird Flying](https://roadsidefam.com/2025/02/kerry-trautman-reviews-danny-shots-night-bird-flying/) - “It’s been said of my people, the Jews, that we are endlessly fascinated by all things concerning the Jews. It’s that way with me. I am forever fascinated by all things concerning me.” This, from the story “What a Wonderful World,” hints at a hubris that does not, in fact, ever rear its head in
- [Danny Shot Releases New Collection, Night Bird Flying, Today](https://roadsidefam.com/2025/02/danny-shot-releases-new-collection-night-bird-flying-today/) - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Danny Shot Releases New Collection, Night Bird Flying, Today February 12, 2025 — Esteemed poet and writer Danny Shot unveils his latest work, Night Bird Flying, a compelling collection of autobiographical stories that traverse the landscapes of New Jersey and New York. Published by Roadside Press, this release offers readers an intimate
- [New Acquisition! Kerry Trautman's full-length work of poetry](https://roadsidefam.com/2022/06/new-acquisition-kerry-trautmans-full-length-work-of-poetry/) - Roadside Press is pleased to announce the recent acquisition of Kerry Trautman's full-length work of poetry, currently untitled. Release date to be announced soon! Ohio born and raised, Kerry Trautman is a founder of ToledoPoet.com and the "Toledo Poetry Museum" page on Facebook, which promote Northwest Ohio poetry. Her work has appeared in dozens of anthologies
- [New Acquisition! Heather Dorn's 'How to Play House'](https://roadsidefam.com/2022/06/new-acquisition-heather-dorns-how-to-play-house/) - Welcome to Roadside Press, Heather! Congratulations all around!! Heather Dorn was born with a plastic spork in her mouth. As a child her mother would take her to Taco Bell and let her choose 2 tacos from the 59 cent menu. Since then, she has been Taco Bell obsessed. She grew up mostly in California
- [New Acquisition! Westley Heine's 'Busking Blues: Recollections of a Chicago Street Musician and Squatter.'](https://roadsidefam.com/2022/06/new-acquisition-westley-heines-busking-blues-recollections-of-a-chicago-street-musician-and-squatter/) - Roadside Press is pleased to announce our acquisition of Westley Heine's novel, Busking Blues: Recollections of a Chicago Street Musician and Squatter. We are ever so happy about this news and look forward to telling you more about this forthcoming title SOON. Please join us in congratulating Wes! Westley Heine is the author of 12
- [New Acquisition! Nancy Patrice Davenport's 'Smoked Glass'](https://roadsidefam.com/2022/06/new-acquisition-nancy-patrice-davenports-smoked-glass/) - Roadside Press is pleased to announce our acquisition of Nancy Patrice Davenport's full-length work of poetry tentatively entitled Smoked Glass. Nancy Patrice Davenport is a native of the San Francisco Bay Area. She lives in San Mateo with three cats. Nancy’s poems are widely published in various journals and anthologies, and have been translated into
- [New Acquisition! William Taylor Jr.'s 'Room Above a Convenience Store'](https://roadsidefam.com/2022/06/new-acquisition-william-taylor-jr-s-room-above-a-convenience-store/) - Roadside Press is pleased to announce the recent acquisition of William Taylor Jr.'s full-length work of poetry titled Room Above a Convenience Store. Release date to be announced soon! William Taylor Jr. lives and writes in San Francisco. He is the author of numerous books of poetry, and a volume of fiction. His work has been
- [Cover Art Reveal!](https://roadsidefam.com/2022/07/cover-art-reveal/) - Cover Art by Waylon Bacon! http://www.waylonbacon.com/ Busking Blues: Recollections of a Chicago Street Musician & Squatter by Westley Heine is NOW AVAILABLE for Pre-Order through Magical Jeep Distributing at https://www.magicaljeep.com/product/busking/98 At the height of the late 2000's recession, a singer-songwriter throws himself at the mercy of the streets. A panorama of pedestrians, workers, graffiti artists,
- [REVIEW by a.m. stein: Busking Blues by Westley Heine](https://roadsidefam.com/2022/08/review-by-a-m-stein-busking-blues-by-westley-heine/) - Busking Blues: Recollections of a Chicago Street Musician and Squatter by Westly Heine, reviewed by Alex Stein “When writing what would be considered gritty realism it is important to remember that even gritty realism is as subjective as anything else. It’s a sliding scale. Humans have such different perceptions of reality. This accounts for
- [PR: Book Release: Busking Blues by Westley Heine](https://roadsidefam.com/2022/08/pr-book-release-busking-blues-by-westley-heine/) - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Novel Relives Chicago During The Great Recession From squatting in a West Side practice space to performing at Blues Fest, the tales of misadventure compiled in Heine’s Busking Blues capture a street musician’s journey and a unique time in Chicago’s recent past. CHICAGO, IL, 9/9/22— Westley Heine’s Busking Blues is about giving
- [REVIEW by a.m. stein: By Plane, Train or Coincidence by Michele McDannold](https://roadsidefam.com/2022/11/review-by-a-m-stein-by-plane-train-or-coincidence-by-michele-mcdannold/) - Review of Michele McDannold’s By Plane, Train, or Coincidence. “Can you tell me where the yellow brick road goes when unaccompanied by red sequined shoes?” --from "cityscapes while sitting on a cold, cold stone" Reading Michele McDannold’s latest poetry collection, By Plane, Train or Coincidence (on the title page, on my personal, signed, copy McDannold
- [Review by Sandra Feen: Unknowable Things by Kerry Trautman](https://roadsidefam.com/2023/01/review-by-sandra-feen-unknowable-things-by-kerry-trautman/) - Unknowable Things is an evocative language feast where sensory imagery is omnipresent. We see this throughout Kerry Trautman’s masterful collection, from the accessible first lines of her opening poem, “Drop,” He closed the screen door, stepped/into rain that smelled like worms to the engaging first lines of
- [Review by Westley Heine; Michele McDannold, Roadside Press, Gutter Snob Books, and her latest book of poetry By Plane, Train, or Coincidence](https://roadsidefam.com/2023/02/review-by-westley-heine-michele-mcdannold-roadside-press-gutter-snob-books-and-her-latest-book-of-poetry-by-plane-train-or-coincidence/) - Independent, but not alone Michele McDannold, Roadside Press, Gutter Snob Books, and her latest book of poetry By Plane, Train, or Coincidence. I have come to realize that no one is going to save us. We have to save ourselves. I was never charmed by religion or politics, but Hollywood has chewed me up and spit me out twice. Also, I’ve
- [Review by Laura Novak: St. James Infirmary by Steven Meloan](https://roadsidefam.com/2023/04/review-by-laura-novak-st-james-infirmary-by-steven-meloan/) - St. James Infirmary by Steven Meloan (Review) This collection of essays might have been called Postcards From the Edge, had that title not already been taken. As a child of the 60s, a young adult in San Francisco in the 80’s, and a transplant to California, and ultimately LA, I can say with certitude that
- [Review by William Taylor Jr.: St. James Infirmary by Steven Meloan](https://roadsidefam.com/2023/04/review-by-william-taylor-jr-st-james-infirmary-by-steven-meloan/) - St. James Infirmiry – a Review by William Taylor Jr. St. James Infirmary, a new collection of stories by Steven Meloan, is an engaging and pleasantly unpredictable read. The opening piece, “Googies,” does a solid job of setting up themes that are revisited throughout the book. What begins as a nostalgic first-person narrative of a
- [Review by Adrian Lime: Unknowable Things by Kerry Trautman](https://roadsidefam.com/2023/08/review-by-adrian-lime-unknowable-things-by-kerry-trautman/) - Kerry Trautman has a gift for shimmying away the veneer of seemingly simple moments to expose the depth and beauty of what lies beneath, the complexities and hidden passions. Unknowable Things celebrates the common and the spectacular on equal terms. “And so the poem starts as many others— at the kitchen sink, as peaches drip
- [Review by Independent Book Review: The Dead and the Desperate by Dan Denton](https://roadsidefam.com/2023/09/review-by-independent-book-review-the-dead-and-the-desperate-by-dan-denton/) - The Dead and the Desperate By Dan Denton Genre: Literary Fiction Reviewed by Maxwell Gillmer, Independent Book Review Beautifully written and utterly raw—a harrowing look at the life of an American factory worker There is no title more fitting for Dan Denton’s third book than The Dead and the Desperate. The story is borne of
- [Review by Scot D. Young: Born on Good Friday by Nathan Graziano](https://roadsidefam.com/2023/09/review-by-scot-d-young-born-on-good-friday-by-nathan-graziano/) - In Nathan Graziano’s latest book, Born on Good Friday from Roadside Press, the poet tells the story of a good Catholic boy’s coming of age that develops into a 40 year story that most of us can relate to. He checks all the boxes growing up and eventually leaves the confessional behind. Graziano’s book reads
- [Review by Susan Ward Mickelberry: Nothing and Too Much to Talk About by Nancy Patrice Davenport](https://roadsidefam.com/2023/10/review-by-susan-ward-mickelberry-nothing-and-too-much-to-talk-about-by-nancy-patrice-davenport/) - I read this poem “After a Miracle” and a few others this week at Poetry Jam at the Civic Media Center from Nothing And Too Much To Talk About by Nancy Patrice Davenport, published by Roadside Press / Michele McDannold As I began to read the poems I was initially delighted, then excited. I really
- [Review by David Alec Knight: Street Corner Spirits by Westley Heine](https://roadsidefam.com/2023/07/review-by-david-alec-knight-street-corner-spirits-by-westley-heine/) - The streets listen to you -- listen to them as you read this book. Knowing Westley Heine's poetry and prose from previous works, and confident in his talent as a writer to educate, entertain, evoke and empathize (and sometimes all in the same work) Street Corner Spirits: poems & flash fiction, from Roadside Press, was
- [Review by Westley Heine: A Room Above a Convenience Store by William Taylor Jr.](https://roadsidefam.com/2023/07/review-by-westley-heine-a-room-above-a-convenience-store-by-william-taylor-jr/) - Somewhere in the light filled mist of San Francisco teetering at the edge of the world wandering through the ghostly landscape of the pandemic drinking in parks and peeking out cheap chipped windows are the fiery eyes of William Taylor Jr. This candid glimpse into a poet’s life is where, “the universe is dumb and
- [Review by Dan Denton: Clown Gravy by Misti Rainwater-Lites](https://roadsidefam.com/2023/08/review-by-dan-denton-clown-gravy-by-misti-rainwater-lites/) - Misti Rainwater-Lites is one of the best writers alive, and in Clown Gravy, she out greats many of the great indie underground writers that so many of us hold in reverence, like Bukowski. Like Buk, Misti writes about the sweat, bruises and loneliness that living a misunderstood misfit life brings, but unlike Buk, she does
- [Review by David Alec Knight: The Dead and the Desperate by Dan Denton](https://roadsidefam.com/2023/10/review-by-david-alec-knight-the-dead-and-the-desperate-by-dan-denton/) - If you have liked Dan Denton's poetry, or if you liked his first novel, you know what you're in for. And guess what? There's even more now: he has grown much as a writer since, and this novel is even more important. You might think, as you begin to read Dan Denton's THE DEAD AND
- [Review by Westley Heine: The Dead and the Desperate by Dan Denton](https://roadsidefam.com/2023/10/review-by-westley-heine-the-dead-and-the-desperate-by-dan-denton/) - The Beats and later Charles Bukoswki cleared the way for the working class poet, the outlaw writer, and the mental outsider to enter literature. After Buk died in 1994 no one has really replaced his mantle. In the vacuum has swelled a generation of writers who seem to think if they get drunk and write
- [Local author Dan Denton chronicles blue collar living in new novel](https://roadsidefam.com/2023/10/local-author-dan-denton-chronicles-blue-collar-living-in-new-novel/) - BY JASON WEBBER/THE BLADE Dan Denton does not imbibe alcohol. Seated at a table in The Attic, Denton, sips Red Bull and cranberry juice, a far cry from the beer swilling protagonist of his new novel The Dead and the Desperate, which was just published by local imprint Roadside Press. On Saturday at 2:30 p.m.,
- [Review by E. Lynn Alexander: They Said I Wasn't College Material by Scot Young](https://roadsidefam.com/2023/12/review-by-e-lynn-alexander-they-said-i-wasnt-college-material-by-scot-young/) - “They Said I Wasn’t College Material by Scot Young is a collection that spans time and circumstances, by a poet willing to resurrect the sting of assumptions and expectations to turn the lens in the other direction. He challenges social gatekeeping, and the classist label culture that nurtures the privileged and pushes the rest of
- [Review by Michael Hollywood: Street Corner Spirits by Westley Heine](https://roadsidefam.com/2023/12/review-by-michael-hollywood-street-corner-spirits-by-westley-heine/) - One gloomy spring afternoon at the age of 13 I was feeling bored and restless, sitting at home roiling in adolescent malcontent, when I happened to pick up my brother's copy of Lawrence Ferlinghetti's A Coney Island Of The Mind. I was instantly transfixed by the playfulness and whimsy combined with hard bitten cynicism. Here
- [Review by Alan Catlin: Born on Good Friday by Nathan Graziano](https://roadsidefam.com/2023/12/review-by-alan-catlin-born-on-good-friday-by-nathan-graziano/) - Nathan Graziano, Born on Good Friday, Roadside Press, available at www.magicaljeep.com 2023, 80 pages, $15 I was reading the recent anthology from Nerve Cowboy: Selected Works 1996-2004 ( a best of the early years of long running print poetry zine) that featured four poems of Graziano’s from that era, reminding me how long I had
- [Review by J. Nishida: And Blackberries Grew Wild by Susan Ward Mickelberry](https://roadsidefam.com/2023/12/review-by-j-nishida-and-blackberries-grew-wild-by-susan-mickelberry/) - Susan Ward Mickelberry’s poetry presents a “microcosm of body”—an intimacy of sensory experience found in whippoorwills and windows, fish bones and raspberries, mosquitos and moss, blood and thorns, a standard sink, a red tricycle. But this intimacy of detail, along with gentle rhythms of Mickelberry’s narrative voice, cannot distract from the sheer breadth of content
- [Review by Alan Catlin: Street Corner Spirits by Westley Heine](https://roadsidefam.com/2023/12/review-by-alan-catlin-street-corner-spirits-by-westley-heine/) - review first published in misfitmagazine.net, Issue No. 37, Winter 2024 Westley Heine, Street Corner Spirits: poems and flash fiction, Roadside Press, available from www.magicaljeep.com or your favorite online retailer, 2023, 146 pages, $15 Street Corner Spirits is the second Roadside Press publication for Heine following his novel about trying to make his way as a
- [Review by Alan Catlin: A Room Above a Convenience Store by William Taylor Jr.](https://roadsidefam.com/2024/01/review-by-alan-catlin-a-room-above-a-convenience-store-by-william-taylor-jr/) - review first published in misfitmagazine.net, Issue No. 37, Winter 2024 William Taylor, A Room Above a Convenience Store, Roadside Press, available from www.magicaljeep.com 2023, 88 pages, $15 Taylor’s latest collection spans the pandemic years and a time of personal health crisis involving serious heart surgery. Perhaps, the most effective ones involve people he meets during
- [Review by Steven Meloan: The Dead and the Desperate by Dan Denton](https://roadsidefam.com/2024/01/review-by-steven-meloan-the-dead-and-the-desperate-by-dan-denton/) - If you’re looking for a tale of personal purgatory but ultimate redemption, The Dead and the Desperate is the book for you. There have been many literary takes on blue collar life in America—dead-end jobs, dead-end relationships, and often mixed with substance abuse or variations of mental illness. But as a deft and brutally honest
- [Review by Alan Catlin: Under Normal Conditions by Karl Koweski](https://roadsidefam.com/2024/01/review-by-alan-catlin-under-normal-conditions-by-karl-koweski/) - review first published in misfitmagazine.net, Issue No. 37, Winter 2024 Reading Koweski’s latest collection is like a heavyweight fight with life, language, and poetry. In fact, one of my favorite poems in the collections evokes the image of “the lifeless eyes of sonny liston.” The former champion who lost his crown to then Cassius Clay,
- [Review by Alan Catlin: Resurrection Song by George Wallace](https://roadsidefam.com/2024/01/review-by-alan-catlin-resurrection-song-by-george-wallace/) - review first published in misfitmagazine.net, Issue No. 37, Winter 2024 George Wallace. Resurrection Song, Roadside Press, available through www.magicaljeep.com 2023, 250 pages, $20- Make no mistake about it, this is a massive tome that feels like a compilation of a life’s hard work, living, traveling, reading, and contemplating life and literature. The collection is not
- [Review by Nadia Bruce-Rawlings: RADIO WATER by Francine Witte](https://roadsidefam.com/2024/01/review-by-nadia-bruce-rawlings-radio-water-by-francine-witte/) - review first published on A THIN SLICE OF ANXIETY (Anxiety Press) Radio Water, published by Roadside Press, is a beautiful collection of flash fiction from author Francine Witte. Witte writes with such poetry and grace. Every word is thought out, every action flows. The theme is mostly the dysfunctional family, women and children who have
- [an excerpt from Clown Gravy by Misti Rainwater-Lites](https://roadsidefam.com/2024/01/an-excerpt-from-clown-gravy-by-misti-rainwater-lites/) - CLOWN GRAVY Vanilla Cupcake was talking shit again, talking about how she would give anything to get in my bed for one hour. One hour is all it would take. It ain’t nothin’ nice bein’ the only African-American in a circus full of wack ass crackers. Sometimes I drop my g’s. Nothin’. Bein’. I’m from
- [Review by Alan Catlin: Nothing and Too Much to Talk About by Nancy Patrice Davenport](https://roadsidefam.com/2024/01/review-by-alan-catlin-nothing-and-too-much-to-talk-about-by-nancy-patrice-davenport/) - review first published in misfitmagazine.net, Issue No. 37, Winter 2024 Nancy Patrice Davenport, Nothing and Too Much to Talk About, Roadside Press, 2023, 86 pages, $15- There is a lot of smoking , all sorts of substances, chilling and communing with cats in Nancy Patrice Davenport’s latest book. I guess it should be expected
- [Review by Alan Catlin: Kiss the Heathens by Ryan Quinn Flanagan](https://roadsidefam.com/2024/01/review-by-alan-catlin-kiss-the-heathens-by-ryan-quinn-flanagan/) - review first published in misfitmagazine.net, Issue No. 37, Winter 2024 Ryan Quinn Flanagan, Kiss the Heathens, Roadside Press, available from www.magicaljeep.com 2023, 230 pages $20 Make no mistake about it, Kiss the Heathens, is a big ass book and true to its size and nature, it delivers the goods by taking names and seriously kicking
- [an excerpt from RADIO WATER, a collection of flash fiction, by Francine Witte](https://roadsidefam.com/2024/01/an-excerpt-from-radio-water-a-collection-of-flash-fiction-by-francine-witte/) - Night is a Man A man without hands, without feet. Night has nothing but eyes and ears and a scrap of heart. You left ten weeks ago, and Night is what I sleep with. Tonight, I wake Night up and take him to the grocery store. On the way there, Night looks at the moon,
- [short interview and reading by Scot Young on JAM Sessions with Joe Mykut](https://roadsidefam.com/2024/01/short-interview-and-reading-by-scot-young-on-jam-sessions-with-joe-mykut/)
- [Reading by Francine Witte: "Balance" from RADIO WATER](https://roadsidefam.com/2024/01/reading-by-francine-witte-balance-from-radio-water/)
- [Disposable Darlings Anything but Disposable: a review by Julie Valin](https://roadsidefam.com/2024/02/disposable-darlings-anything-but-disposable-a-review-by-julie-valin/) - Disposable Darlings Anything but Disposable Todd Cirillo’s new collection of poems, Disposable Darlings, is like a “cosmic jukebox” of the human condition, playing all our favorite songs, depending on our mood. You want a love song? Go to the very first poem, “Magnolias,” and move to the sounds and scents of Spring—a new love blooming. Or
- [2 poems from Susan Ward Mickelberry's AND BLACKBERRIES GREW WILD](https://roadsidefam.com/2024/02/2-poems-from-susan-ward-mickelberrys-and-blackberries-grew-wild/) - Last Night I Sat Alone Last night I sat alone waiting for you on the ground in the sun under the oak, as I had waited long ago. The wind rustled the trees and the undergrowth. I drew with a stick in the sand what looked like a Mayan temple. My white t-shirt reflected the
- [Review by Dan Denton: Disposable Darlings by Todd Cirillo](https://roadsidefam.com/2024/02/review-by-dan-denton-disposable-darlings-by-todd-cirillo/) - A look at Todd Cirillo’s Disposable Darlings I have never met Todd Cirillo, and I’ve only read a few of his poems in online zines over the years. He has however been mentioned a few times in conversations with poets that I dig, so I was curious to take a look at his forthcoming collection
- [Independent Book Review: Radio Water by Francine Witte](https://roadsidefam.com/2024/02/independent-book-review-radio-water-by-francine-witte/) - Radio Water By Francine Witte Genre: Literary Fiction / Short Stories Reviewed by Nick Rees Gardner Francine Witte evokes the sorrow of separation, the fear of alienation, and a snippet of hope in this flash fiction collection. All under 1000 words, most of the 44 stories in Francine Witte’s Radio Water have appeared separately before
- [Review by Aleathia Drehmer: PRYING by Jack Micheline, Charles Bukowski and Catfish McDaris](https://roadsidefam.com/2024/02/review-by-aleathia-drehmer-prying-by-jack-micheline-charles-bukowski-and-catfish-mcdaris/) - Prying is a collection of work from Jack Micheline, Charles Bukowski, and Catfish McDaris, which was originally published by Four-Sep Publications in 1997. The book has since fallen out of print and Four-Sep Publications is defunct. Michele McDannold, editor of Roadside Press, is bringing this long-lost collection back in a new light with an updated cover and new
- [Dan Provost reading. March 9, 2024](https://roadsidefam.com/2024/03/dan-provost-reading-march-9-2024/)
- [Susan Ward Mickelberry reading March 9, 2024](https://roadsidefam.com/2024/03/susan-ward-mickelberry-reading-march-9-2024/)
- [Gregory Corso: Ten Times a Poet](https://roadsidefam.com/2024/03/gregory-corso-ten-times-a-poet/) - The much-anticipated Corso book can now be ordered at https://www.magicaljeep.com/product/corso/165 or https://www.amazon.com/Gregory-Corso-Ten-Times-Poet/dp/B0D32HHZDH/ GREGORY CORSO: TEN TIMES A POET (Roadside Press, 2024) Cover Art by Jonathan Collins. Compiled & Edited by Leon Horton. Co-Editor: Michele McDannold. Contributions by Raymond Foye, Kurt Hemmer, Gregory Stephenson, Ryan Mathews, Jay Jeff Jones, Westley Heine, A. Robert Lee, Ed Sanders,
- [Francine Witte reading March 9, 2024](https://roadsidefam.com/2024/03/francine-witte-reading-march-9-2024/)
- [Todd Cirillo reading March 9, 2024](https://roadsidefam.com/2024/03/todd-cirillo-reading-march-9-2024/)
- [by Neeli Cherkovski. from Gregory Corso: Ten Times a Poet](https://roadsidefam.com/2024/03/by-neeli-cherkovski-from-gregory-corso-ten-times-a-poet/) - Gregory Corso: An Elder Scamp by Neeli Cherkovski Gregory Corso. There are days where I miss him terribly. It is difficult not to think of him as an elder scamp, yes, right out of some topsy-turvy Huckleberry Finn-like American night folded around the streets on both the East and West coast. He was a child
- [review by Mala Rai: These Are the People in Your Neighbourhood by Jordan Trethewey](https://roadsidefam.com/2024/03/review-by-mala-rai-these-are-the-people-in-your-neighbourhood-by-jordan-trethewey/) - review of THESE ARE THE PEOPLE IN YOUR NEIGHBOURHOOD by Jordan Trethewey, originally published in Miramichi Reader at https://miramichireader.ca/2024/03/these-are-the-people-in-your-neighbourhood-by-jordan-trethewey/ These Are the People In Your Neighbourhood by Jordan Trethewey March 25, 2024 by Mala Rai Jordan Trethewey’s tribute to the people of Fredericton, a city I have never been to, travelled nearly 5400km westward for a curious
- [Interview with Leon Horton, editor of GREGORY CORSO: TEN TIMES A POET](https://roadsidefam.com/2024/03/interview-with-leon-horton-editor-of-gregory-corso-ten-times-a-poet/) - First published at: https://blues.gr/profiles/blogs/q-a-with-countercultural-writer-interviewer-and-editor-leon-horto Interview by Michael Limnios Q&A with countercultural writer, interviewer, and editor Leon Horton; editor of book Gregory Corso: Ten Times a Poet Posted by Michael Limnios Blues Network on March 28, 2024 at 8:30am "Where would we be without it? Literature helps us to understand the world, to see and feel and
- [Review by Anthony Mangos: INNOCENT POSTCARDS by John Pietaro](https://roadsidefam.com/2024/04/review-by-anthony-mangos-innocent-postcards-by-john-pietaro/) - ‘Innocent Postcards’: Progressive poetry reflects 20th-century politics and culture by Anthony Mangos, People's World Author-poet-musician John Pietaro has been a constant, positive force in the ongoing progressive culture of New York City. Hailing from Brooklyn, Pietaro’s passions are equal parts literature, music, workers’ rights, and social activism. He founded the Dissident Arts and Brecht Lives!
- [Review by Linnet Phoenix: Ain't These Sorrows Sweet by Lauren Scharhag](https://roadsidefam.com/2024/04/review-by-linnet-phoenix-aint-these-sorrows-sweet-by-lauren-scharhag/) - Today, I finished reading Ain't These Sorrows Sweet and what a journey we have been on, through dark places, wonderfully described: "Burned out encampments in railroad yards give no scent of myrrh." This book contains beautiful, heart-wrenching narrative poems which it has been a tearstained pleasure to read. I realised that the book was a
- [Review by Lori Howe: Ain't These Sorrows Sweet by Lauren Scharhag](https://roadsidefam.com/2024/04/review-by-lori-howe-aint-these-sorrows-sweet-by-lauren-scharhag/) - In Ain't These Sorrows Sweet, Lauren Scharhag invites readers into her hand, lifts us across space and time, and offers us the nourishment of memory cached in beans and light, in tomatoes and rosaries and barbacoa. She illuminates the crossroads of time and history and inheritance as they culminate in our own mouths and are
- [2 poems from ANOTHER SATURDAY NIGHT IN JUKEBOX HELL by Alan Catlin](https://roadsidefam.com/2024/04/2-poems-from-another-saturday-night-in-jukebox-hell-by-alan-catlin/) - Parallel Lives Every city has one, a block God forgot, some unofficial war zone, demilitarized, but alive and active with all the usual suspects cops roust on periodic missions to clean up after some particularly rowdy disturbance, something so embarrassing, around election day, even the mayor is moved to act. After the votes have been
- [Excerpt from Abandoned By All Things by Karl Koweski](https://roadsidefam.com/2024/04/excerpt-from-abandoned-by-all-things-by-karl-koweski/) - abandoned by all things my brother phones late at night, he’s been drinking again, asking if I might write a few poetic lines in honor of our dead father so Richie G can temporarily immortalize the words on his forearm below the half-finished angel, a tribute to a dad he vaguely remembers from his early
- [Excerpt from Unknowable Things by Kerry Trautman](https://roadsidefam.com/2024/04/excerpt-from-unknowable-things-by-kerry-trautman/) - Because, Brian I liked you at first, because your dad fixed a flat on my mom’s Pontiac in his robe, and because of your black jelly bean eyes and big-toothed laugh, and because you almost almost rubbed my thigh. But I bought off-the-shoulder homecoming velvet for someone else, because of your seaweed smell, because of
- [Review by Alan Catlin: How to Play House by Heather Dorn](https://roadsidefam.com/2024/04/review-by-alan-catlin-how-to-play-house-by-heather-dorn/) - Heather Dorn, How to Play House, Roadside Press, 2023, 116 pages $15 "Heather Dorn is a real mom with real life issues. She’s more Journal of a Mad Housewife than Kate Middleton, though she’s not a stuck at home mom going crazy with her kids but a PhD in English Literature who teaches at the
- [Excerpt from THE DEAD AND THE DESPERATE by Dan Denton](https://roadsidefam.com/2024/04/excerpt-from-the-dead-and-the-desperate-by-dan-denton/) - 1. I never intended to live in Ohio again in the first place. After my first divorce, and all the ensuing debacles; a rehab here, probation there, a dab or two of homelessness, or years of barely clinging to a roof over my head, and I found myself drunk and alone a lot, watching the
- [“A Circle Amuses Itself”: A Review of Gregory Corso: Ten Times a Poet by R. M. Corbin](https://roadsidefam.com/2024/06/a-circle-amuses-itself-a-review-of-gregory-corso-ten-times-a-poet-by-r-m-corbin/) - “... he clarified his intention, which was “beat” as beatific, as in “dark night of the soul,” or “cloud of unknowing,” the necessary beatness of darkness that proceeds opening up to light, egolessness, giving room for religious illumination.”—Allen Ginsberg In some ways, Gregory Corso represented a darkness within a darkness: a beat within the Beat.
- [Roadside Press Unveils Gregory Corso: Ten Times a Poet, an Unprecedented Tribute](https://roadsidefam.com/2024/05/roadside-press-unveils-gregory-corso-ten-times-a-poet-an-unprecedented-tribute/) - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Roadside Press Unveils Gregory Corso: Ten Times a Poet, an Unprecedented Tribute Release Date: June 20, 2024 Available via magicaljeep.com, Amazon, Ingram, and Major Online Book Retailers In the annals of American literature, the Beat Generation remains a luminous chapter, resonating with the harmonious blend of rebellion and creativity that defined an
- [Susan Ward Mickelberry reviews: These Many Cold Winters of the Heart by Ryan Quinn Flanagan](https://roadsidefam.com/2024/05/susan-ward-mickelberry-reviews-these-many-cold-winters-of-the-heart-by-ryan-quinn-flanagan/) - Ryan Quinn Flanagan’s These Many Cold Winters of the Heart begins with an epigraph from Emily Dickinson “I am out with lanterns looking for myself,” a perfect depiction of this collection. You will be riveted from the opening poem, "I Grew Up in a Brewery Town," where the Molson plant closes down but “people survived, they usually
- [Alan Catlin reviews ALL IN A PRETTY LITTLE ROW by Dan Provost](https://roadsidefam.com/2024/06/alan-catlin-reviews-all-in-a-pretty-little-row-by-dan-provost/) - first published in misfitmagazine.net Dan Provost, All in a Pretty Little Row, Roadside Press, Magical Jeep Distribution, available on Amazon, 196 pages, 2023, $15 All in a Pretty Little Row, collects ten of Provost’s chapbooks published over the past 20 years. Some of these are rarely seen, extremely limited editions, so this recent trend by prolific poets to
- [Alan Caltin reviews DISPOSABLE DARLINGS by Todd Cirillo](https://roadsidefam.com/2024/06/alan-caltin-reviews-disposable-darlings-by-todd-cirillo/) - first published in misfitmagazine.net Todd Cirillo, Disposable Darlings, Roadside Press, distributed by Magical Jeep Distribution and available on Amazon, 2024, 84 pages, $15 Reading Cirillo put me in mind of working in the neighborhood bar and hanging out with the regulars. When I dedicate a book, as I often have, “to the regulars as they made life
- [Alan Catlin reviews INNOCENT POSTCARDS by John Pietaro](https://roadsidefam.com/2024/06/alan-catlin-reviews-innocent-postcards-by-john-pietaro/) - first published at misfitmagazine.net John Pietaro, Innocent Postcards: poetry ciphers, verse, Roadside Press, distributed by Magical Jeep, also available on Amazon, 2024, 87 pages, $15 Moving back and forth throughout the Cold War years to the present, Pietaro’s unusual but affecting collection effectively renders a state of mind that was dominated by Cold War politics. I
- [JD Monroe reviews THE DEAD AND THE DESPERATE by Dan Denton](https://roadsidefam.com/2024/06/jd-monroe-reviews-the-dead-and-the-desperate-by-dan-denton/) - first published at https://www.i94bar.com/reviews/books/3126-disaffected-dan-denton-must-be-your-new-fave-author Disaffected? Dan Denton must be your new fave author The Dead and The Desperate By Dan Denton (Roadside Press) Way back in the New Wave/Post punk era, one of my only friends was a kid with a very similar name to mine. He was really into Depeche Mode and Tubeway Army, and he had a real
- [Alan Catlin reviews CISTERN LATITUDES by James Duncan](https://roadsidefam.com/2024/06/alan-catlin-reviews-cistern-latitudes-by-james-duncan/) - first published in misfitmagazine.net James Duncan, Cistern Latitudes, Roadside Press, Distributed by Magical Jeep, also available on Amazon, 2024, 84 pages, $15 Duncan’s narratives often put me in mind of late 50s, early 60s cafés featuring traditional folk singers. These were usually solo acts playing acoustic guitar with artists singing traditional ballads and the occasional original song.
- [Alan Catlin reviews THEY SAID I WASN'T COLLEGE MATERIAL by Scot Young](https://roadsidefam.com/2024/07/alan-catlin-reviews-they-said-i-wasnt-college-material-by-scot-young/) - first published in http://misfitmagazine.net/ Scot Young, They Said I Wasn’t College Material, Roadside Press, Magic Jeep Distributing, available on Amazon, 2024, 132 pages, $15 Young’s latest collection is a selected, mostly culled from before 2009. The title comes from an actual conversation with a guidance counselor who failed to see Young’s potential as a student. Scot, in
- [Alan Catlin reviews AND BLACKBERRIES GREW WILD by Susan Ward Mickelberry](https://roadsidefam.com/2024/06/alan-catlin-reviews-and-blackberries-grew-wild-by-susan-ward-mickelberry/) - first published in misfitmagazine.net Susan Ward Mickelberry, and blackberries grew wild, Roadside Press, distributed by Magical Jeep, available on Amazon, 2024, 100 pages, $15 Susan is essentially a narrative poet reflecting on her past in the many places she has lived in and visited as an army brat, over a long and eventful life. A strong sense
- [3 poems from THESE MANY COLD WINTERS OF THE HEART by Ryan Quinn Flanagan](https://roadsidefam.com/2024/07/3-poems-from-these-many-cold-winters-of-the-heart-by-ryan-quinn-flanagan/) - Demi-glace Gods Nothing worse than being sauced for other sauces, demi-glace gods spooning out all the simmering half-baked worship at discount prices and they say a dog and its human grow to look more like each other as the years go on, the same is true of writers and their writing which does not bode
- [Steven Meloan reviews THE DEAD AND THE DESPERATE by Dan Denton](https://roadsidefam.com/2024/06/steven-meloan-reviews-the-dead-and-the-desperate-by-dan-denton/) - Just got my signed hardcover copy of Dan Denton's amazing memoir, The Dead and the Desperate, on Roadside Press. If you’re looking for a tale of personal purgatory but ultimate redemption, this is the book for you. There have been many literary takes on blue collar life in America—dead-end jobs, dead-end relationships, and often mixed
- [Westley Heine reviews APOCALYPSING by Jason Anderson](https://roadsidefam.com/2024/08/westley-heine-reviews-apocalypsing-by-jason-anderson/) - A pop culture Book of the Dead, Apocalypsing begins with David, a freshly deceased ghost, who is more self-conscious about his looks rather than upset about being dead. If he knew he was going to die he would have worked out more and dressed up first. This nonchalant humor sets the tone for a journey that
- [Starred Book Review: APOCALYPSING by Jason Anderson](https://roadsidefam.com/2024/10/starred-book-review-apocalypsing-by-jason-anderson/) - Anderson’s Apocalypsing is a quick-witted, pop-culture savvy, sci-fi satire that is equal parts absurd and introspective. Reviewed by Samantha Hui.
- [Shot of Life: A Review of Danny Shot’s Night Bird Flying by Westley Heine](https://roadsidefam.com/2024/12/shot-of-life-a-review-of-danny-shots-night-bird-flying-by-westley-heine/) - Shot of Life: A Review of Danny Shot’s Night Bird Flying By Westley Heine first published at the Rusty Truck Like its namesake the Hendrix song “Night Bird Flying,” this collection of stories builds and builds until you think it’s hit a plateau. Then it builds upon itself again. Largely autobiographical, this book is written in a
- [Review of NIGHT BIRD FLYING published at Sensitive Skin Magazine](https://roadsidefam.com/2024/12/review-of-night-bird-flying-published-at-sensitive-skin-magazine/) - "Danny Shot’s Night Bird Flying from Roadside Press is a fierce and poignant collection that captures the grit and tenderness of life on the fringes—where New Jersey meets New York and scars of the past meet the possibility of healing. Shot’s voice is steeped in the dualities of identity, blending humor with heartache and toughness
- [Two Roadside Press titles are reviewed in Rain Taxi Review of Books](https://roadsidefam.com/2024/12/two-roadside-press-titles-are-reviewed-in-rain-taxi-review-of-books/) - Gregory Corso: Ten Times a Poet, edited by Leon Horton and Michele McDannold is reviewed by Patrick James Dunagan "The pressure of fame mixed with a hidden yet inherent shyness drove poet Gregory Corso to adopt a bad-boy persona, fueled by a heroin habit he never could kick and only resisted with the steady aid
- [Beatdom publishes review by Ryan Mathews on NIGHT BIRD FLYING by Danny Shot](https://roadsidefam.com/2024/12/beatdom-publishes-review-by-ryan-mathews-on-night-bird-flying-by-danny-shot/) - "Legend has it that it took Jimi Hendrix 32 takes to master his “Night Bird Flying” and that was before multiple overdubs were added. The tune was first presented at the opening party of Jimi’s Electric Lady studio on August 26, 1970. Danny Shot nailed his version in one." —Ryan Mathews, author Read the
- [Alan Catlin reviews Karl Koweski's Abandoned by All Things](https://roadsidefam.com/2025/01/alan-catlin-reviews-karl-koweskis-abandoned-by-all-things/) - first published in http://misfitmagazine.net/ Karl Koweski, Abandoned by All Things, Roadside Press Distributed by Magical Jeep Distribution, available on Amazon, 2024, 136 pages $15- Koweski’s journey in life travels from the Midwest to the deep South. He observes Alabama’s barely sentient senator Tommy Tuberville as "the mostly evil, largely senseless/senator of Alabama" whose modest credentials for elective office,
- [Cover Reveal and Pre-Order—ALL SKATE: True Stories from Middle Life by Lori Jakiela](https://roadsidefam.com/2025/01/cover-reveal-and-pre-order-all-skate-true-stories-from-middle-life-by-lori-jakiela/) - ALL SKATE: True Stories from Middle Life will resonate with anyone who has ever wondered what comes next and how to face it with humor, love, and strength. Don’t miss this masterful new release from Lori Jakiela, available March 14, 2025. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Cover Reveal and Pre-Order Announcement: ALL SKATE: True Stories from Middle
- [Cover Reveal & Pre-order: CLOUD WATCHING IN THE INFERNO by Westley Heine](https://roadsidefam.com/2025/01/cover-reveal-pre-order-cloud-watching-in-the-inferno-by-westley-heine/) - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Cover Reveal & Pre-Order Announcement: Cloud Watching in the Inferno by Westley Heine Roadside Press is thrilled to unveil the cover for Cloud Watching in the Inferno, the latest work by acclaimed author Westley Heine. Featuring striking cover art by Daniel Stine, this highly anticipated collection is set for release on April
- [Alan Catlin reviews Dave Newman's She Throws Herself Forward to Stop the Fall](https://roadsidefam.com/2025/01/alan-catlin-reviews-dave-newmans-she-throws-herself-forward-to-stop-the-fall/) - first published in http://misfitmagazine.net/ Dave Newman, She Throws Herself Forward to Stop the Fall, Roadside Press, Magical Jeep Distribution, available on Amazon, 200 pages, 2024 Poet and prose master Newman scores big in this collection of seven tight stories. While these people don’t know each other, they probably would make instant connections. Most of them are at an
- [Michael T. Fournier reviews Dave Newman's SHE THROWS HERSELF FORWARD TO STOP THE FALL](https://roadsidefam.com/2025/02/michael-t-fournier-reviews-dave-newmans-she-throws-herself-forward-to-stop-the-fall/) - She Throws Herself Forward to Stop the Fall By Dave Newman, 192 pgs. Sep 19, 2024 I’ve been following Dave Newman’s work for years. His depictions of America’s working class are stark in their honesty without ever pandering or slipping into schmaltz. The characters that inhabit his world are always a bad break away from

## Pages

- [Home](https://roadsidefam.com/) - #Roadside Press is a leading publisher dedicated to preserving and celebrating the legacy of the literary underground. With a diverse catalog spanning poetry, fiction, and non-fiction, Roadside Press is committed to honoring the voices that shape our cultural landscape. Founded on 2/22/22 by Michele McDannold, Roadside Press has since published 75 titles and counting by
- [About](https://roadsidefam.com/about/) - ROADSIDE PRESS Regular Staff Publisher/Editor: Michele McDannold We are currently OPEN to unsolicited submissions. Our next OPEN reading period will be 8/1/26–8/31/26. Our submission process has changed significantly from previous years. Please read all of the below information carefully. Thank you. NO AI. If you are already published with Roadside Press, the below does not
- [August Open Reading Period – FAQ](https://roadsidefam.com/august-open-reading-period-faq/) - August Open Reading Period – FAQ Why is there a submission fee this year? Due to the high volume of submissions received last year, we’ve adjusted our model for this reading period. Submissions in August will include a copy of Roadside Assistance: A Roadside Press Reader. This helps us manage volume while supporting the continued
- [Authors](https://roadsidefam.com/authors/) - Ignatius Valentine Aloysius earned his MFA in Creative Writing from Northwestern University, where he teaches. He hosts and curates the popular reading series sundaysalon-chicago.com. He is the author of the literary novel Fishhead. Republic of Want (Tortoise Books), and the collaborative poetry collection, Salt Pruning (Hummingbird Poetry Press), co-authored with David Allen Sullivan. Bone Dust Mother is forthcoming on Glass Lyre Press. Ignatius
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